[Photon46]

Another most interesting experiment in human perception is discussed in this article from the N.Y. Times. It reports on blind testing of Stradivari violins vs. quality new manufactured violins and the reactions of professional musicians to the results. We've all read spirited back & forth discussions regarding blind testing of cables and equipment and it's obvious the debate extends to all forms of sensory perception.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/science/in-play-off-between-old-and-new-violins-stradivarius-lags.html

[ctviggen]

NPR has a similar article, except that you can also play recordings of the violins to see if you can tell the difference:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/01/02/144482863/double-blind-violin-test-can-you-pick-the-strad

When I listened to these on my home theater system, I liked the second one better.  It's a tad less "scratchy".  The first one is borderline obnoxious.  However, I was able to play the introductory phrases over and over again to compare them.  And the difference isn't huge by any stretch, but is enough to make me want the second over the first.

[eclein]

Its also a phenomena that can change day to day also. Many times I performed on recordings that I thought were excellent only to hear them again a day later and find it sounds like crap or the other way around...the mind is amazing.

[Ericus Rex]

Being 'in the biz,' as they say, I can tell you that it's not as simple as the article claims.  There is as much, if not more, synergy-related variables with instruments, bows and players as there is will audio.  Imagine one person trying 6 different amps in his system, in his house and with his ears and then declaring to the entire world that one is best and that's that.  It's just more complicated than that.  There is no doubt though that modern instruments are under-appreciated by too many players.  But Strad and Guarneri earned their reputations over the past 300 years.  And keep in mind that not every violin is the same, even from the same maker.  Some Strads aren't worth a fraction of their selling prices.

[Photon46]

Being 'in the biz,' as they say, I can tell you that it's not as simple as the article claims.  There is as much, if not more, synergy-related variables with instruments, bows and players as there is will audio.  Imagine one person trying 6 different amps in his system, in his house and with his ears and then declaring to the entire world that one is best and that's that.  It's just more complicated than that.  There is no doubt though that modern instruments are under-appreciated by too many players.  But Strad and Guarneri earned their reputations over the past 300 years.  And keep in mind that not every violin is the same, even from the same maker.  Some Strads aren't worth a fraction of their selling prices.

Absolutely right. I was struck at the simplistic methodology of their comparison. Plus, the fact that one's sight would suddenly be taken away while being told to play and evaluate instruments would leave someone in a state of confusion and less than ideal mental acuity it would seem. As a third rate guitarist, I know the importance of personal synergy with an instrument and how much more there is to finding a "great" one than a quick simplistic evaluation of tone, timbre, and action.